This invention relates to a method of manufacturing an electrical slip ring assembly. More particularly, the method relates to a manner of constructing a flat or "pancake" slip ring assembly.
Electrical slip rings are well known devices for communicating electrical signals from one structural member to another where one of the structural members is rotatable with respect to the other. Such a slip ring assembly, for example, may comprise a relatively stationary annular base member which has a plurality of conductive rings extending annually therearound. One or more electrically conductive brushes are arranged on a relatively rotatable structural member to rotate about the slip ring base and each of the brushes is arranged to contact a surface of one of the conductive rings thereby forming a series of electrical connections between the two structural members.
The flat or "pancake" slip ring is such a device of minimal height or thickness for military or commercial environments where space for the slip ring is very limited. The conductive rings forming the slip ring base generally are formed from materials having a thickness of from 0.003 to 0.040 inches with most such materials having a thickness in the range of 0.006 to 0.016 inches. Characteristically, the rings for such a slip ring base are approximately 0.015 to 0.020 inches in width. The spaces between the rings, or the ring pitch are characteristically approximately of the same dimension.
It can be seen that in order to manufacture slip ring assemblies of such size and structure severe manufacturing difficulties will be experienced. These will produce higher manufacturing, including tooling costs.
In a variety of applications slip rings of these dimensions are needed, but heretofore, it has not been possible to produce such slip ring assemblies cost effectively in volume.
The method of the invention seeks to provide a technique for manufacturing such slip rings with little waste and relatively low manufacturing cost.